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Our friends visiting from mainland stopped by Kapoho lighthouse this afternoon...walked to seashore and returned to their rental car...windshield smashed and trunk opened to relieve them of some personal items stowed...car alarm and On-Star activated. Police arrived some 40 minutes later reportedly compassionate, helpful and full of aloha. No one was physically injured. Our friends said this will not be the defining experience of their visit and felt someone needed what they had more than they did. These folks are seasoned world traveled, not their first visit to Hawaii Island and acutely aware of our sordid welcome wagon. We are just frankly embarrassed.[
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They are good sports. I wouldn't be. A smashed windshield is hostile.
*crosses lighthouse off places to stop*
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When I read that to Wes he said, "If that had happened to us, we never would have moved to Hawaii." It is true, we have never lived in a place where crimes like that happen, let alone on such a regular basis. We locked our keys in the trunk of a convertible at that very spot and were advised by locals not to leave our vehicle there. They stayed with us and let us use their cell phones to make calls for almost two hours till we could be sure help was on the way. It cost us a few hundred dollars, but nothing like it would have if our trunk had been opened and our wallets and other valuables were taken. Your friends were far more gracious and understanding of our local thugs than most people would be.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
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When my cousin came here as part of his wedding trip, I gave his group a security briefing about their rental van. The owner of the vacation rental home here in HPP had wisely provided a good security information sheet as part of the "welcome packet" for the rental. At one point in all this, one of the party said, "You mean there's crime in a beautiful place like this?"
Yes, dears, there is. There are lots of places where it is much worse, but it is a real problem here.
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My experience has been that it is unwise to leave valuables in a vehicle at any beach "park", in any state, whether an official park or not, unless it is heavily patrolled.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
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Kathy, when we were stuck at that very location with our keys locked in the trunk it was local kids who helped us and spent two hours waiting till we could get the rental company to send a person to the Ford dealership to get a new set of keys and then give it to a cab driver who had to drive all the way down there from Hilo. They were more than helpful. One of them even missed going in to work to stay with us till we got help. So, I would not say that there is any kind of territorial attitude down there. There are punks and thugs all over Puna and there are genuine nice people too.
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.eastbaypotters.blogspot.com
but Devany, you can't generalize about locals like that. Most people here are helpful and kind. What I'm wondering is whether the MINORITY of locals who have localist sentiments have an issue with people in that area. There are certain places where that exists. That doesn't mean everyone would share the sentiment by any means. "Locals" is not a homogeneous group any more than haole is one group with one attitude.
The kids who helped you advised you NOT to leave the vehicle there, which says to me they were aware that someone was going to mess with it if you did.
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http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/arti...ocal01.txt
Our boy? ... been reading a lot lately about the correlation of drop outs and petty crime - this maybe an example
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Lokahi, I am sorry this happened to your friends.
Jerry, great advice! Forewarned is forearmed!
It also continues to amaze me why people think that leaving valuables in their car is a good idea no matter where it is.
